CDF stimulates rural economy as Ngella constituents testify benefits

Ngella Constituency Office (NCO) remain committed to boosting rural economic activities in its constituency, by supporting constituents to engage in small business and income generating activities targeted at alleviating poverty and improving their livelihoods.

And beneficiaries of the CDF projects in Ngella Constituency has applauded the benefits of CDF and how it positively contributes to their livelihood enhancement.

These economic activities were part of the CDF program and delivered to recipients by the constituency’s office as aligned with the MRD development priorities and the NCO yearly development plan.

Principal Rural Development Officer, Gabriel Manetiva who led a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) team to the constituency in November, 2021 said,” apart from the housing scheme, the constituency also supported other sectors, and small business and income generating activities is one of the areas of support.”

Mr. Manetiva said recipients have testified how the CDF program positively changed their lives.

The support towards this sector (Income generating activities) is one of NCO strive and determination to stimulate economic activities in the rural areas to guarantee people improve their livelihoods.

“We have managed to witness some of these projects and the constituents were happy to be part of the CDF programs. Others testified that the CDF programs changes the way they live compared to what they were experiencing in the previous years,” Mr. Manetiva said.

Peter Manekaoni and family who owns a Homestay business in Tulagi thanked NCO for its continuous support towards small businesses and incoming generating activities in the constituency.

“NCO has supported my business with housing materials and that has enabled us to expand and made improvements to our homestay apartment,” Manekaoni excitedly told the M&E team in an interview.

The constituency also funded constituents with Transportation and Fishing Projects. The projects included the Yamaha/Suzuki 40HP and fiberglass boats and nine (9) families from various communities were the happy recipients in 2020.

The projects touched many lives said Regan Nofo, one of the prior recipients.

“My family were grateful to have received project assistance of a Yamaha 40HP Engine and a fiberglass boat from NCO, and that has enabled us to ran a transportation business service between Ngella and Honiara. This has helped us a lot to pay for school fees, family needs, building materials and meet other community obligations.”

Another beneficiary, Robert Kabe of Logapolo Community also thanked the constituency office for supporting his family with a Suzuki 40HP Engine and a fiberglass boat. Currently Mr. Kabe also rans a transportation business service and help communities around his community by transporting them to Honiara for market and the sick to seek medical services in town.

“My small business has enabled me to meet my family expenses such as school fees, household needs and solved transport difficulties.”

Fr. John Talisi of Borohinaba village who was supported with a canteen project and funds to purchase copra similarly acknowledged NCO’s support. Now we have expanded our business to buying of cocoa beans.”

“The support we received through the small business project helped my family to meet our family needs as well as improved our livelihoods. Thank you, NCO.”

Bartholomew Parapolo is the current Member of Parliament for Ngella Constituency.

The objectives of the Monitoring and Evaluation activity were:

• To verify the implementation status of projects funded by CDF program in the constituency in 2020.
• To establish community participation in the CDF funded projects in the constituency.
• To investigate the level of awareness of CDF among community members.
• To determine the level of satisfaction of community members in CDF funded projects.

Constituency monitoring of CDF projects is part of MRD’s ongoing activity on CDF funded programmes being implemented within the 50 constituencies. Government through MRD supported the M&E activity.

The M&E mostly focused on projects funded by the Solomon Islands Government (SIG), including the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) CDF funded projects for 2020.

Relevant data/information collected will support the ministry in its planning to assess status of projects and impact’s the funding support (CDF) have on the lives of constituents. Not only the data collected is important but gathering evidences on the ground by M&E officers, to confirm that constituencies utilized the funds for its intended purpose is paramount.

MRD is fully committed to see that all rural Solomon Islanders become meaningfully participated in development activities to improve their social and economic livelihoods.

-MRD Press